Today finishing this piece from VZGLIAD about the gay couple, Pavel and Evgeny, who attempted to test a loophole in Russian law, in order to get their same-sex marriage (registered in Copenhagen) re-registered in Russia. But all they succeeded in doing was inciting a backlash that cost the jobs of two civil servants and brought down public anger upon their own silly heads.

A typical gay night club in Moscow

As I mentioned before, Russia is not exactly Saudi Arabia. It’s more like the USA pre-Stonewall. Homosexuality per se is legal, and Russia even has a gay subculture, especially in the bigger cities. There are gay bars and nightclubs, the usual stuff, especially in Moscow. Pavel and Evgeny could have rented a flat together, hung out with their friends, contented themselves with many sources of socialization and entertainment available. I reckon they wanted more than that, they wanted to flash their big diamond rings at the people, and have the people applaud them back. But they can’t do that in Russia. Not in the forseeable future, and possibly not ever. Yet their personal adventure — you could call it a prank, a stunt, or — more nobly, an activist gambit — is less important than the issues it raises about Russia’s relationship with Europe. Which leads us to geo-politics, and the question that reporter Petr Akopov poses: What happens when Russian law conflicts with international law? Akopov:

This is not simply a legal issue, it is a question of Russia’s self-determination. Part 4, Article 15 of our Constitution stipulates that: “Generally accepted principles and norms of international law, and the international agreements of the Russian Federation constitute the main part of our legal system. If rules are established according to international treaty which differ from [Russian] law, then the international rules take precedence.” Despite which, we now live in a world where Russia’s sovereignty is not under any doubt, neither by the government, nor society as a whole. Therefore Part 4, Article 15 does not present any threat, neither to our state sovereignty, nor to the code of values of Russian civilization.

Yes, of course, Akopov continues, the norms of international law constitute a part of our legal system; but the only agreements that can take precedence over our own laws are the ones that we ourselves signed. That is to say, we take upon ourselves certain obligations. And if we decide we don’t like them any more, then we have the right to change our minds. If Europeans wish to implement same-sex marriages or euthanasia, that is their right, but they have no right to try to impose those standards on us. And yet, what is going to happen if international laws all start to go in that direction? Are we supposed to bow out of all international organizations?

Who Is To Blame?

Akopov goes on to argue that “international laws” should be just that — international. Europe is not the whole world.

Granted, that Europe, in recent centuries, has become the author of “International Law”. At first it was just Europe, and then “Atlanticism” (including America). And the West formulated the international world order as a way to gain leadership over the world, and to use the world, for its own interests and purposes. Even when the West was forced to recognize the independence of Asian and African nations, they still insisted that Western law was identical to international law.

The Golden Rule: He who has the Gold, makes the Rule.

Chernyshevsky’s novel changed public perceptions about woman’s rights

The West never considered that non-Western countries should have any say in the matter. When the USSR in 1945 won a seat at the table, the Anglo-Saxon Globalizers had to grit their teeth and endure this setback. But once the USSR disappeared, the West decided that, well, now there are no serious impediments on the road to Globalization.

Hence, Russia’s recent rebellion against the World Order came as a surprise to the West. And the U.S. now openly calls Russia a “revisionist force” in the world. But Russia is not alone. Nations like China and India are also considered revisionist. People are rebelling, not just against Western “values”, but against the power of the Dollar, Western military bullying, and the “New Morals”. Akopov, who represents a typically Russian conservative point of view, sees an alliance forming of Russia, China, India, and the Islamic world. He calls for a new construction of “international law” that takes into account these various civilizations and their endemic values.

What Is To Be Done?

I end this piece with my own personal (unsolicited) advice for Russian homosexuals:

Un-demonize yourselves! Create a positive image.

Tone down the sex, and don’t march around dressed like idiots.

Dis-own and distance from the pedophile movement.

Dis-own and distance from pro-Western pro-NATO propaganda.

In general, de-couple from politics, especially geo-politics.

Be loyal and patriotic to Russia. (Well, unless you’re not, I can’t tell you what to believe in…)

Forget about gay marriage, settle for civil unions, and even that is a stretch.

Be patient: Social change takes many decades, and there are no guarantees!

Now is Thursday – day of artistic intelligentsia. Today’s lifehack is for #poravalit crowd.

Go to the Blessed West to one of the LGBT friendly countries. Register a gay marriage here. Come back to Russia. Raise a hell with maximum publicity and coverage by the Free and Independent Western Media (™) trying to re-register said “marriage”. Once again using said Free and Independent Media ™ to fix the reaction of Russian Powers that Be. Bugger off back to the Blessed West.

Boom! You are now “victim of homophobic persecution in Russia”. You are to be provided with the streamlined procedure for gaining a residence permit, plus the status of the refugee with everything that entails. Good as the citizenship – only without k-tons of the paperwork and days spent confined in tight smelly places with other refugees from Africa and the Middle East. Past are the ages where the truism that “the Jewish spouse is not only part of your family, but also a guaranteed ticket to the West” (c) was reigning supreme. No, now you can become a superstar on your own! Western press wants to interview you. Civil Rights NCOs are offering you membership, grants, paid lectures and tours. Winds from the State Dept blow in your face… favorably.

Curious mind might be asking – why Denmark? “Lego” and cookies stereotypes notwithstanding, there is a good reason why they chose it.

Q: Can anyone get married in Denmark?

A: We have had couples from all over the world, including some who have had lost documents or other problems. So almost anyone can get married here. The only country which has a problem (and that’s with any marriage overseas, not Denmark in particular) is Laos. Other than that the only real exceptions are asylum-seekers and refugees, who cannot get married here.

[…]

Q: Do we need to bring witnesses?

A: No, it is not necessary as we provide witnesses as part of our service. But if you prefer to bring your own witnesses, that is of course fine.

Q: Can I get married on a Schengen tourist visa?

A: Yes, but the visa issue can be complex and we will be happy to discuss your particular circumstances.

Q: Does getting married to an EU citizen give me automatic residency in Europe?

A: In general terms, yes it does, but be careful – this is a complicated issue. The 2004 EU Directive on freedom of movement established this principle, but the individual EU countries did not implement the Directive fully. In particular, most countries want to be sure that any marriage is genuine, that the couple will be living together as man and wife, and that they can support themselves financially. None of our couples (as far as we know) has had any serious problems with this so far.

As for the “struggle for gay rights” and this particular incident… Another (sad for some) truth that won’t change significantly in any meaningful way in the foreseeable future is that, to quote, “ our people don’t call a taxi to get to the bakery store” (c). Most Russians don’t travel abroad. Most Russians who travel abroad don’t register marriages there. Most Russians do not belong to the same income strata as those two gays. Their problems are the problems of the burgers. The ordinary people can’t possible share in their values and economic goals. Said “ubranites/burgers” prove themselves time and again as treacherous, kvetching group, quick to pandering for the West. They can’t do otherwise. They are a breed apart, who think themselves above the “bydlo”, and by virtue of that considering themselves to be some kind of “elite”, fit to rule over others. They can’t forge alliances with those below them, whom they despise. They have nothing to offer to those above them, for Russian burgers proved to be as fitting substitute for the cement as shit. #poravalit is the only option for them. Or sublimation of the “interior emigration” in the form of the “safe spaces” provided by this or that sub-culture. Like the gay one.

Tl;dr – “the gay question” is tied to the class. Classes and stratas that might lobby for them in Russia are miniscule and should not be taken serious. The policy of the open doors (i.e. nothing prevents you from buggering off) makes sure that easier options are always available to them.

P.S. Irina Volk is not Russian Minister of the Interior – she’s just their spokeswoman.

P.S. – Denmark does sound like an easy place to get married. But I reckon it still doesn’t beat Las Vegas. Where one can easily get married and/or divorced, plus you can get Elvis Impersonators as witnesses!